Water tank for concrete mixers



April 30, 1929.- G. JAEGER 1,

WATER TANK FOR CONCRETE MIXERS FilecLMaulQ. 1928 ts-Sheet l ILgi'.

ISnucntor GEBHAR D JAEGER Bu 6 I A1; attorney J April 30, 1929. cs.JAEGER WATER TANK FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Filed May 19. 1928 '2 Sheets-Shet2 Summer GEBHARD JAEGER 4A,, dttomcgs Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

GEBHARD JAEGER, 0] COLUMBUS, OHIO.

WATER TANK FOB CONCRETE MIXEBS.

. Application filed May 19, 1928. Serial No. 279,169HESSU This inventionrelates to water supplying means for concrete mixers, and its 0 pet isto provide improved means whereby the water is supplied to the mixing.drum in predetermined quantity for each batch according to thespecification for each particular job the supply being automaticallyeffected by the ordinary operation of the machine in supplying the drymater1als. In the ordinary operation of the machine a clutch shaft isoperated to elevate the dry material charging bucket to drum chargingposition and according to the invention, as herein shown, the operationof the clutch shaft to raise the bucket also effects the supply of waterbefore the charging bucket reaches the position for discharging itscontents into the drum.

The invention is embodied in the ekample herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings-- Figure 1 is a view in elevation lookingat that side of the mixing machine having the drum charging bucket.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, a portion of the bucket being broken off.

Fig. 3 is a plan view on a larger scale of the water tank and operatingparts employed in connection therewith.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IVIV Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-V Fig. 4 with some parts in full.

Fig. 6 is a detail looking toward the right hand end of Fig. 3 withparts broken out and in section.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line V1I-VII Fig. 5 with the springomitted.

Fig. 8 is a detail in vertical section on the line VIII Fig. 6.

In the views 10 designates the mixing drum that, in the example shown,is of the non-tilting variety and has its charging opening at 10. Saiddrum is mounted on a suitable wheeled truck that carries an appro priateframe. The usual engine for rotating the drum is contained in the hoodat 11, power from said engine also operating the charging bucket. Thecharging bucket is designated 12, it having a discharging spout at 12and being pivoted to the frame on shaft 12 so that when .swung upwardthe contents thereof will flow through the spout 12 and into the mixingdrum through the opening 10'. The means for raising and lowering thecharging bucket consists of a pair of cables 13, 13, each connected atone end with a side of the bucket, said cables guided by a pair ofsheaves 14, 14, and having their other ends connected with a pair ofspools 15, 15, on a power operated shaft 16. Said shaft is operated atwill through the intervention of a clutch device as usual in suchmachines.

Said clutch device is contained in a housing at 17 and is controlled bya rock shaft 18 having a handle 19 extending to within easy reach of theattendant.

To raise the bucket to charging position the handle 19 is drawn towardthe observer in Fig. 1 thereby operatively engaging the clutch inhousing 17 with the shaft 16 and causing the spools 15, 15 to wind upsaid cables and elevate the charging bucket.

' On the power operated shaft 16 is a brake wheel 20; and on the clutchoperating shaft 18 is an eccentric 21; and around said brake Wheel andthe eccentric is a brake band 22 that can be tightened or loosened byrocking the clutch operating shaft 18. The charging bucket is loweredfrom charging position by gravity upon the release of the clutch by theoperation of the shaft 18. The eccentric 21 is so placed that upon therelease of the clutch it functions to tighten the brake band 22 toobtain the braking effect desired, this being controlled at will by theattendant and normally so as to avoid undue ra id precipitation of thebucket to the groun position.

The foregoing parts and operations are well known in mixers now incommon use and need no further description, they being recited for thepurpose of facilitating an un derstanding of the present invention whichas before indicated resides in an improved means cooperating with such amechanism for automatically supplying to the drum the water ingredientneeded for the concrete mixture.

The water tank, which is designated 25 is supported in the frame abovethe mixing drum. Pivoted within the tank near its bottom is an outletconductor 26 the axis of which is also hollow and is connected with adischarge conductor 27 at the exterior of the tank, said. conductorhaving its discharge opening extended into the opening 10 of the mixingdrum so that upon the depression of the outlet end of the pivotedconductor into the body of water in the tank the water flows from thetank into the mixing drum.

The rotated part of the pivoted intake has a crank arm 28 and the outletis actuated by means of a lever 29 fulcrumed on the tank at 29", one endof said lever being connected with said crank arm. The outer arm of thelever 29 has attached to it a strong spring 30 tending to hold theoutlet in elevated position with its inlet end above the level of thewater supply. The extremity of the outer portion of the lever 29 haspivoted to it a dependent arm 31 the lower portion of which is providedwith a slot 32; and connected with said slotted portion by means of anadjustable slide 33 is the throw arm 34 pivoted at 34 on the frame. Theslide 33 is held in adjusted position by suitable means includingclamping members 35 and 36, each provided with a rib fitting in the slotand a bolt 37 threading into part 36 (see Fig. 8). The edge of thedependent arm is provided with a scale by which the adjustment of thearm 33 can be determined to limit the movement of the throw arm 33, andtherefore the depth of submergence of the inlet of the pivoted outletand the quantity of water to be removed. The quantity of water removedis determined by the depth to which the pivoted outlet is thrown.

The shank of the handle 19 is provided with a crank arm 38 the end ofwhich has an anti-friction roller 39 swinging below the throw arm 33, sothat when said handle is swung forward to throw in the clutch to raisethe bucket the anti-friction roller lifts said throw arm 34 depressesthe oultet conductor 26 to the level predetermined as aforesaid one ofwhich is shown by broken lines in Fig. 4. When said member is sodepressed water flows therethrough from the tank into the mixing drum inthe quantity predetermined while the bucket is being raised to supplythe mixing drum with the solid ma terials.

Water is resupplied to the tank in a quantity equal to that removed bymeans of a pipe 40 (see Fig. 5) said pipe containing a valve 41connected with a toggle 42 actuated by a float 43 to close the valve.The-float slides on the stem 43 that is provided with a stop 43, saidstem projecting upward beyond the float so as to be struck by a tapperon one end of a lever 44 fulcrumed at 44 on an uppenedge of the tank.The other end of said lever 44 has pivoted to it a depending arm 46 thatis slidingly supported by means of a cross pin 47 in a slot 48 in abracket 49 t secured to the frame. A spring 50 attached to the bracket49 and the arm 46 tends to draw that arm toward a stop 51 adjustablysecured to the bracket.

The clutch shaft 18 is provided with a crank arm 52 having thereon alateral pin 52 that, when the clutch shaft is rocked forward to causethe raising of the bucket, rides downward on the forward edge of thelower end of the depending arm 46 pushing it rearward until the lowerend of said rod can be drawn forward by the spring 50 to stand over thepin 52 as shown by broken lines Fig. 5.

The operation of the clutch shaft 18 to cause the elevation of thebucket sets the pin 52 in the position just described so that upon areverse rocking of said clutch shaft the pin 52 is removed from underthe lower end of the rod 46, but in this movement that rod is raised tocause the tapper thereon to strike thestem 43 and cause the opening ofthe valve in the water supply pipe. In the down position of the togglearms operating the valve of the supply pipe the pivotal connection ofthe upright stem is slightly below a line joining the centers of theopposite pivots so as to prevent an accidental closing of the supplypipe valve 41. The supply pipe valve 41 is drawn to closed position onlywhen the float 43 rises and strikes a stop 43 on the stem 43*.

The clutch operating shaft 18 has attached to it a downwardly standingcrank arm 60 to which is attached one end of a rod 61 the other endthereof reaching to a point where it can be struck by a lug 62 on theloader bucket 12 when that bucket is raised to discharging position androck the shaft 18 to its normal'or primary position. An effect of thisoperation is to automatically open the supply pipe for res-applying thetank to the extent discharged and permitted by the closing of the valvein said pipe by the rising float 43.

A supplemental float 56 is provided, an arm 57 on which carries a valve58 to open and close a port or hole in the bottom of the chambercontaining the main float 43, said hole permitting the rapid dischargeof the water from said chamber when water has sufiiciently lowered inthe main tank. The supplemental valve closes the port in the main floatchamber before that chamber is full and permits a rapid filling of thechamber over the top and therefore a nick action of the float 43 toclose the valve 0 the supply pipe.

The forms of the parts can be changed without departing from. the gistof the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a concrete mixer having a mixin drum, a loader bucket, a poweroperated sha t for operating the bucket and a clutch means forcontrolling the same, a tank for receiving water, a conductor forremoving water from said tank and conveying the same to the mixing drum,said conductor including a swinging part adapted to be depressed intothe body of the water in the tank by the actuation of the clutch meansto operate the loader bucket.

- 2. In a concrete mixer having a mixing drum, a loader bucket, a poweroperated shaft for operating the bucket and a clutch means Water,

for controlling the same, a tank for receiving water, a conductor forremoving water from said tank and conveying the same to the mixing drum,said conductor including a swinging part adapted to be depressed intothe body of the water in the tank by the actuation of the clutch meansto operate the loader bucket and means for varying the depth of thedepression of said swinging part of the conductor.

3. In a concrete mixer having a mixing drum, a loader bucket, a poweroperated shaft for operating the bucket and a. clutch means forcontrolling the same, a tank for receiving conductor for removing waterfrom said tank and conveying the same to the mixing drum, said conductorincluding a swinging part adapted to be depressed into the body of thewater in the tank by the actuation of the clutch means to operate theloader bucket, a Water supply means for the tank, a valve actuated by afloat to close the water supply, and means actuated by the loader bucketto actuate the clutch control means to open said water supply valve.

4. In a concrete mixer having a mixing drum, loader bucket, a poweroperated shaft for operating the bucket and a clutch meanstorcontrolling the same, a tank for receiving water, and conductor forremoving water from said tank and conveying the same to the mixing drum.said conductor including a swinging part adapted to be depressed intothe body of the water in the tank by the actuation of the clutch meansto operate the loader bucket, a water supply means for the tank, a valveactuated by a float to close the Water supply, and means actuated by theloader bucket to actuate the clutch control means to disconnect theclutch from the power operated. shaft and open said water supply valve.

5. In a concrete mixer having a mixing drum, a loaderbucket, a poweroperated shaft for operating the bucket and a clutch means forcontrolling the same, a tank for receiving Water, a water supplyconductor thereto, a conductor for removing Water from said tank andconveying the same to the mixing drum, a valve for the supply conductorand a float for actuating the same to close the water supply, asupplemental chamber in which said float operates, said chamber having adrain port, a valve for openin and closing saidport and a supplementaloat operating said valve.

6. In a concrete mixer having a mixing drum, a loader bucket, a poweroperated shaft for operating for controlling the same, a tank forreceiving Water, a Water supply conductor thereto, a conductor forremoving water from said tank and conveying the same to the mixing drum,a valve for the water supply conductor and a float for actuating thevalve to close the water supply, and a tappet actuated by the clutchmeans for opening said valve.

7. In a concrete mixer having a mixing drum, a loader bucket, a poweroperated shaft for operating the bucket and a clutch means controllingthe same, a tank for receiving water, a water supply conductor for thesame, a conductor for removing water from said tank and conveying thesame to the mixing drum, a valve or the water supply conductor and afloat for actuating the valve to close the water supply, a tappetconnected with the clutch control means for operating said supply valve,and means actuated by the loader bucket for actuating the clutch control means and the tappet.

GEBHARD J AEGER.

the bucket and a clutch means

